The Offer
by Miranda Pearl
Summary: Shortly after the resolution of the Saurian conflict, Fox offers Krystal a spot on the Star Fox team. While in the process of making her decision, she learns something unexpected about Fox McCloud. One-shot.


**Author's Note: With the announcement of Star Fox Zero at E3, my inner thirteen year old actually screamed so much that I managed to puke this up. Also based off of a Tumblr post I saw about Fox McCloud being a giant nerd.**

Krystal had learned many things about this "Star Fox" team ever since her arrival on the Great Fox. The trip back to Corneria took several days, even with nonstop travel at warp speeds. In that time, Fox never dropped his hard exterior. He would make small talk whenever he wasn't in his quarters taking care of paperwork or catching up on lost sleep, but it never went further than that. He was polite and courteous, of course, yet never let it go further than that. The longest and most extensive conversation had been when he offered Krystal a spot on the team.

"Your telepathic abilities would be a massive asset for us, and you would have a place to stay," Fox reasoned.

Krystal shook her head, her blue hair swaying to and fro around her face. "Just drop me off on Corneria," she had told them the night of her arrival, so shortly after the defeat of Andross. "I don't need to be more of a burden than I already am. I'll find a place and make things work. They usually do."

Fox nodded and dropped the subject. "Will you at least think about it."

Krystal nodded. "Of course."

Even with her primitive background, Krystal understood why Fox had not dropped his stoic persona. He had just been through many experiences that many would label as horrifying or even traumatic while on Sauria. Sometimes she would wake up in the night and hear him cry out in terror.

(Falco claimed to Krystal at one point that once she got to know him better, she would learn that Fox was a, as he claimed, a "dork.")

When she read his thoughts, however, Krystal could sense no traces of his experiences from Sauria. His thoughts revolved around two other foxes, one male and one female, and his thought patterns indicated that he had regressed to a younger state, as if he had been younger in his dreams. One revolved around a large explosion taking place outside of his home. In the other dreams he would be in the office of an elderly canine who delivered the news of his father's death. Rarely, he would dream of being in the cockpit of his fighter, facing off against Andross, and although he had just fought the mad scientist recently, he saw himself in a younger light in his dreams.

Krystal knew better than to intrude, however, the fox's mind intrigued her more than anyone else on the team. Even before this most recent assignment, he had seen many things that, to the vixen's knowledge, would drive many people mad. Krystal empathized with him. She too had recurring dreams about the destruction of her home that resulted in many sleepless nights on her behalf.

One night in particular, as Krystal sat on a barstool at the island in the kitchen with a glass of water clutched between her paws, a door slid open and then closed somewhere behind her. She turned her head, the corners of her lips curling up as Fox entered the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water for himself.

Instead of sitting down, Fox stood at the opposite side of the island and took a drink. "Couldn't sleep?"

Shaking her head, Krystal cleared her throat. "Bad dream."

Fox nodded, not pressing the subject. "I understand the feeling."

Krystal tilted her head to the side, her tail flicking from side to side. The vulpine's mind raced with so many thoughts she had a hard time picking them apart. Sauria. Andross. Paperwork. Money. _Dad._

 _Another nightmare,_ thought Krystal.

Shaking her head quickly, she tapped out of his mind.

"So… have you thought about my offer?"

"Hm?" asked Krystal.

"About joining the team," said Fox. "Have you thought about it?"

"I have," said Krystal with a nod. "I'm still not sure yet."

"Well, we arrive at Corneria in a few days, think you'll know by then?"

"I think so," replied Krystal. "Thank you again."

With a quick nod, Fox finished off the rest of his water and placed the glass in the sink. "Try to get some sleep."

Krystal nodded, still twisting the water glass around in her paws. "Thank you again, Mr. McCloud, for everything."

Fox turned to her just before reaching the door that would take him further into the _Great Fox_. "It's no problem at all, Krystal," he said with a quick smile before disappearing behind the door.

The night before their scheduled arrival in Corneria, Krystal found herself wandering the halls of the _Great Fox_. No nightmares kept her up tonight, just the thought of Fox's offer, and the fact that she still had not come to a decision yet.

After taking a pen and writing down the pros and cons on a napkin from the kitchen, it became very clear to Krystal that the benefits of accepting the offer heavily outweighed the drawbacks. There was still a small part of her, however, that worried that she would become nothing but a burden to them as a part of Star Fox.

 _You don't even know how to fly,_ thought Krystal. _You can fly the ship from home, but you do not know the controls of their fighters._ _Cornerian technology is different from Cerinia's._

Stopping in her tracks, Krystal hung her head and let out a faint growl from the back of her throat.

"Stop," she said to herself. "You wouldn't even know where to go if you had them leave you on their home planet. You barely know enough about their culture as is."

She sighed again.

"Maybe you wouldn't have to learn how to pilot one of their ships," Krystal continued mumbling as she resumed her wandering. "Maybe you could help out on the ground, and then just use your telepathic abilities on the ship while their out flying."

"Krystal?"

The blue fox whirled around, her tail tucking between her legs at the call of her name. "Fox!" she gasped. She hadn't been aware that she walked right by his room while talking to herself. "I—I didn't wake you, did I?"

The red fox shook his head. "No. I was still awake."

"It's awfully late."

Fox's eyebrows flicked upwards. "Says the vixen wandering the halls and talking to herself."

Krystal ducked her head when she felt her cheeks warm.

"I'm kidding, Krystal," said Fox with a warm smile as he stepped out of his room and into the hallway. When she searched his mind, she detected no signs of distress. _No nightmares._ "Is there anything bothering you?"

Krystal lifted her head again and squared her shoulders. "Not really. Just… trying to come to a decision about your offer."

Fox smiled again. "Well, you know what they say about making decision at night."

Krystal cocked her head. "What's that?"

Fox returned the gesture. His head tilted as he regarded Krystal. "Right, you wouldn't know. There's a saying in Lylat about how when you need to make a difficult decision then make it at night. That's when all the best decisions are made."

"How well has that worked for you, Mr. McCloud?"

"About as well for anyone else. It may not be the easiest decision to make, but it always proves itself to be the right decision. It was around this time when we left Sauria to return to Corneria that I decided to offer you that spot."

Krystal's heart lurched into her throat. "About that…"

Fox held up his hands. "I'm not looking for an answer right now, Krystal. You still have all night and most of tomorrow before we return. All I ask is that you do what you really think is best."

Slowly, Krystal nodded. "I can do that."

"I'm glad," said Fox. "Would you like to come in and sit for a little while? I haven't had the chance to sit down and really talk to you, and I apologize for that. I know it's late, but would you mind?" He gestured back towards his room.

Smiling, Krystal nodded. "I'd be happy to."

"Great."

Fox opened the door to his room again and when it slid open, Krystal stepped in first. The room was large, larger than she had been anticipating. His bed was pressed up against the window that took up nearly the entire wall of the opposite side of the room. It was neatly made, and to her left was his desk, covered in different papers and a few pens. Aside from that, there were no decorations.

"Please, have a seat," said Fox, gesturing towards the desk.

Krystal pulled the plush, rolling chair out from the desk and sat down in it as Fox took a seat at the edge of his bed.

"So," said Fox, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He made an open gesture with his hands, as if welcoming any information she had for him. "Tell me about yourself."

Laughing nervously, Krystal looked down at her paws and pulled her tail around to drape across her lap. "I'm not sure what there is to tell."

"Just whatever you're comfortable with," said Fox. "You're making the calls here. Tell me whatever you think I need to know about you."

"Um," Krystal looked up from her paws and into Fox's green eyes. "As you know, I'm from Cerinia. I received the distress signal from Sauria in my travels…"

Fox nodded intently, his eyes never leaving hers as she told him of her life on Cerinia and how she came across Sauria. Skipping over the details of her homes destruction, she told him of her life there and of her heritage. He did not speak until she finished.

"That's quite a remarkable story," he remarked. "If you don't mind, may I ask one question?"

"Of course," said Krystal.

"Your staff," said Fox. "I became quite familiar with it while on Sauria. In my travels there, I had to use power gems to keep it functioning. If it ran out of power, I couldn't do anything with it except fight with it. When you were freed at Krazoa Palace, it was almost completely out of power. When you took it, you were able to shoot with it as if it were fully powered. Why is that?"

Krystal grinned. "The staff, while it recognized you as worthy to wield it, is… stubborn. That is the simplest word I can think of to describe it. It allowed you to use it, but at a cost, you were responsible for keeping it powered. I, on the other hand, am its true owner, and it recognizes me as such. It will to whatever I tell it to so long as I have the strength to do so."

"So it runs on magic too? Just like Sauria?"

"That is the easiest way to put it, yes," said Krystal. "Much of the magic I did not yet have the chance to learn about."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Krystal nodded. "Thank you."

"I apologize if this intrusive, but what else can you tell me about the magic of your planet?" asked Fox.

Krystal blinked. "I apologize if this comes across as rude, Mr. McCloud, but you are not Cerinian. Even if I did teach you about it, there would be no chance of you ever being able to truly wield it."

"I'm aware," said Fox. "And I understand. It's…" He cleared his throat and looked out the window. "These things fascinate me. And while I may not be able to fully understand them, I want to know what I can." He gave a slack-jawed smile.

 _Dork_ , the word that Falco had used to describe his leader flashed through Krystal's mind. A quiet silence hung between the two of them before Krystal hid her face behind her paws and fell into fit of giggles.

Fox quickly closed his mouth and then sat up straighter. "Did I say something?"

Shaking her head, Krystal lowered her paws from her face. "No, no. I'm so sorry. I just…" she laughed out loud again. "I'm sorry."

His eyebrows furrowing together in confusion, Fox couldn't help but smile along with the vixen. "What is it?" he asked through his own laughter.

After her laughter died down again, Krystal let out a smooth exhale and cleared her throat. "Your expression, your mouth hanging open like that when you asked the question. It looked very funny, and it reminded me of something Falco told me."

"Yeah, and what was that?"

"Something about you being a… dork, was the word he used."

Fox smiled and then leaned back, looking at Krystal. His eyes crinkled around the edges when he smiled. "This surprising to you at all?"

Krystal nodded, returning the smile. "Perhaps that is my fault. I… you have always been so serious, I never would have thought it to be true."

"It's not your fault at all, Krystal. It's mine, if anyone's. I've locked myself in here day in and day out without any real chance to express myself to you."

Krystal nodded. "Again, I'm sorry for laughing like that—"

"Again, it's not a problem. Let's chalk it all up to exhaustion and leave it at that, how's that sound?" he asked with a quick wink.

Krystal nodded, the beginnings of a yawn rising in her throat. "Okay."

Standing up with a yawn, Fox approached his door. "It's getting late, and I think I might actually crash soon. Thanks for sitting down with me though, Krystal. I appreciate it."

Krystal stood and approached the door. "Thank you for having me."

"No trouble at all. My door is always open if you need anything."

"Oh," Krystal turned around to face the taller fox before he had the chance to close the door. "And, I think I have my answer for you."

Fox pulled his paw away from the button that would close the door and gave his full attention to Krystal. "Are you sure?"

Krystal nodded. "Yes. And my answer is yes, I would be honored to be a part of your team."

Fox's face broke out in a wide smile and he held out his paw for her, which she took as he gave it a single, firm shake. "I'm glad to hear that Krystal. Welcome to the team."


End file.
